4.15. SR 01-20-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report to EDA and City Counsel On behalf of the jury panel, I'd like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to engage in this exciting project. All of these artists proved skillful and experienced, and shared a keen desire to provide a beautiful sculpture for people of Elk River. So the jurying process, while inspiring, was not easy. We could envision all three pieces in place were conditions amenable to doing so. Our decision, though, was unanimous, and we are ready to make a recommendation to you. The first artist we met with was Gita Ghei, a sculptor with a considerable number of pieces installed in Minneapolis, including a Capitol Mall sculpture and another at the Walker Sculpture Garden. She envisioned a sundial for the Rivers Edge Commons at sidewalk level, not knowing that there was a fountain embedded in the very spot she chose to place her piece. She was open to suggestion, both in terms of placement and concept, but since the piece was designed specifically for the river's edge, it would not fit so well at other locations. Because Rivers Edge Commons is being considered for renovation, the panel decided not to recommend this project at this time. Perhaps as renovations plans are finalized, such a piece might be considered for inclusion. The team of Dan Wolbert, Myrna Orensten, Matt Eckholm, and Todd Fink appeared before us next. Their piece includes a child and adult figure under a canopy at the edge of an abstract rendering of a flowing river. Although the panel liked the concept, unfortunately we had three reasons to dismiss this project. First, were budget issues. They included no budget in their proposals and when asked about details, gave us assurances that they could complete the project but offered no specific pricing details. Furthermore they depended on heavy volunteer contributions of labor and required ongoing City maintenance for watering and mowing landscape components. Next, were site matters. They chose the northeast corner of Highway 10 and Main Street. It would have worked there quite well as an impressive welcome to the community —the installation measured 30 by 50 feet. However, due to the Department of Transportation plans for that spot, the sculpture would have to be removed relatively soon. Finally, because we liked the concept of the proposal, we tried to determine an alternative site for it, but could not identify an appropriate place. We determined, therefore, that we could not recommend it to you. We ultimately chose the work by Carl Zachmann. Of the finalists, Carl's proposal for outside the library was the most thorough in budget and timelines. He has a very good understanding of his materials with which he has had much prior experience and showed that the work would be done with the up most craftsmanship. He proposes a kinetic sculpture placed near the library entrance. He provided a video of one of his installations elsewhere. While it is on a smaller scale than his design for us, it gave us a graphic understanding of how this proposal will work. (show the video ?) Zachman, an professional artist with a Masters of Science in Historical Archaeology, researched Elk River's earliest days and the pieces and colors chosen allude to them. His design is nearly maintenance free, requiring only a semi - annual check to determine all is well, and assured us all parts are standard, can be gotten from him immediately, and can be switched out in less than 30 minutes should a need arise. He believes the piece will not require maintenance for a very long time, however. It can sustain winds of 40 miles per hour and is as sturdy as farm windmills on open prairies. The colors are applied using